Maths help

[UndertheCedartree]

I was doing some Maths with my DD (Y3) and got stuck on some word problems. I can work them out myself in my head but am struggling to be able to explain it so she can understand. I think at school they would use dienes (sp?). She is about average in Maths. Can anyone help?

A couple of the problems:

The total mass of Lulu and Amira is 54kg. Amira is twice as heavy as Lulu. What is the mass of Amira?

The total mass of a lemon and a cherry is 81g. The lemon is 23g heavier than the cherry. What is the mass of the cherry?

Have you got anything you can substitute for dienes? Lego or counters or even bits of paper?

@Frlrlrubert - thank you - good idea!

I used Lego to make a base 10 set so agree with @Frlrlrubert. Substitute something you have got for similar representation. I also found mathsphere resources useful for printing off grided pages to help with things like this.

@minisoksmakehardwork - thank you for the advice

Since it's weights, you could also start by showing her some things on the kitchen scales, and how you can work out what one things weighs by seeing the total and then seeing what's left when you take one away.

Thank you, @Fink

Ok, first one is ratio. Draw them make Amira twice the size of Lulu to show you could make 2 of Lulu from Amira. That shows you can divide them into 3 Lulus to get the answer. 3 Lulus= 54 54÷3=18. Lulu is 18. Amira is twice that.

The next one:
Lemon + Cherry = 81
Lemon =23
therefore
23 + Cherry =81 therefore the cherry is 81 -23=
The second one is better explained by using 2,3 and 5
I.e. Lemon + Cherry=5
Lemon = 3
3 + cherry = 5
We know that 5-3= 2 so cherry =2
Hope that helps.

I don't see that Dienes would help particularly.
Now I just need help for my maths home edding....

Dienes blocks would be perfect here. Let lulu's weight be one block, if amira is twice as heavy she has to be 2 blocks. You then know all 3 blocks is the total weight hence division.